Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary

Gir National Park and wildlife sanctuary is located at the Junagadh district in the state of Gujarat and has an area of 1412 square kilometers. This park is is situated at about 59 kilomerets from the junagadh if you go via Visavadar.

This forest has hilly tract of dry deciduous forests, acacia scrub, evergreen and semi-evergreen flora and grasslands, watered by the numerous rivers and streams which flows through the forest.

This Gir National Park was set up to protect the Lions in the year 1965 and have achieved more than what they set out to do. There were only 200 lions at that time and it is nearly 300 at the present.

On Sundays and holidays the Forest departments holds shows for the visitors to be able to see the cats .

There are 300 lions and 300 leopards there in this park. If you have a jeep you will be able to follow the trails and see them close in their habitat.

You can see chinkara, wild boar, striped hyena, jackal, common langur, porcupine, hare and the black buck etc other than the lions in this National Park.

There is a crocodile park in the Kamaleshwar dam where marsh crocodiles are found. The best way to enjoy wild life is to get a jeep and drive through the forest from Sasan are to Baval Chowk and Kankai, to Chodavdi and Tulsishyam and to Kamaleshwar dam.

December to April will be the ideal time to visit Gir National Park. The Park remains closed in the Monsoon months and even later if there is heavy rainfall in that area.

You have to get permission to go inside the park and it would be better to take a jeep inside since ypu can easily manoeuvre them. Private vehicles cannot be taken inside to tour the Park.

The charges for the permits are as follows

Get them at Sinh Sadan Forest Lodge office at Rs. 15 for the first day, every additional day Rs. 7.50. You will have to pay Rs. 35 for a camera and Rs. 75 for a video camera.

Jeep tours can take you and your friends up to six people for Rs. 150.

To reach Gir Park

There are state transport buses plying four times a day from Junagadh to Veraval via Sasangur. Trains are also running from Junagadh to Veraval twice a day.

Accomodation is very limited there and so booking early is a must if you want to stay the night.

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